A composite material made of mesoporous siliceous shale impregnated with lithium chloride for an open sorption thermal energy storage system. (January 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Hongzhi; Nagano, Katsunori; Togawa, Junya
• Is Part Of: Solar energy. Volume 111(2015)
• Page Start: 186
• Page End: 200
• Publication Date: 2015-01
• Subjects: Lithium chloride -- Composite material -- Honeycomb -- Thermal energy storage -- Low regeneration temperature; Solar energy -- Periodicals; Solar engines -- Periodicals; 621.47
• DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2014.10.044
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0038-092X

Abstract

Highlights: Mesoporous composite material was developed using mesoporous material and LiCl. Heat and mass transfer were improved by building the material into a honeycomb structure. Sorption capacity of the composite material was improved by being impregnated with hygroscopic salt. The performance of the composite material in an open heat storage system was examined. The composite material can be regenerated at a low-regeneration temperature of 60 °C. Abstract: In this study we developed a composite mesoporous honeycomb element based on Wakkanai siliceous shale (WSS) and lithium chloride (LiCl), to act as a thermal energy storage medium that can directly contact the functional air in an open sorption thermal energy storage system. The mesopores of the WSS were filled with LiCl to improve its sorption capability as a new sorption thermal energy storage material. The honeycomb thermal energy storage element impregnated with 9.6 wt% LiCl was installed in the developed open sorption thermal energy storage experimental setup. The experimental results showed that this impregnated honeycomb element could be regenerated at a lower regeneration temperature, even at 60 °C, and also exhibited high volumetric heat storage density. Furthermore, at a certain regeneration temperature, the element impregnated with 9.6 wt% LiCl supplied air with a relatively constant high outlet air temperature compared to the element filled with 22.4 wt% CaCl2 under the same inlet air conditions in the sorption process, and the proposed element was less affected by the humid air flow rate. The sorption rate was observed to significantly affect the outlet air temperature during the sorption process. We confirmed that the developed composite material filled with LiCl exhibited good stability, boosting the possibility of its long-term use.